Sex Attack Revealed in Morgan Case : Courts: Slaying suspect faces felony charges that could result in death penalty if he is convicted.

In filing charges that would make convicted rapist Edward Patrick Morgan Jr. eligible for the death penalty, prosecutors disclosed for the first time Wednesday that the 23-year-old Huntington Beach woman he allegedly murdered had also been sexually assaulted.

Morgan, 28, made his first court appearance here since his Monday capture in the small Northern California town of Quincy, where he had fled over the weekend in an attempt to elude an intensive manhunt that was launched after the slaying victim’s body was discovered Friday morning.

Morgan displayed no emotion as he stood before Municipal Judge Barbara (Tam) Nomoto to hear felony charges made against him of murder and penetration of genitals with a foreign object. Prosecutors also made a special-circumstance allegation of murder during the course of sexual assault. Morgan was ordered held without bail until his June 10 arraignment.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Lewis R. Rosenblum said Leanora Annette Wong was sexually assaulted with a “foreign object” and her body was so bloodied that authorities have had difficulty conducting normal rape tests. One law enforcement source, who spoke on condition that he not be identified, said authorities are still trying to locate the object used to mutilate Wong’s genitals.

“At this point, it might be impossible to determine whether semen is present, but it’s also a moot point,” said Rosenblum, who noted that Morgan already faces the harshest punishment possible, because sexual assault with a foreign object in conjunction with murder is punishable by the death penalty.

Police said Wong and Morgan met the night of May 19 at an Orange nightclub, where she had gone with a girlfriend. Authorities who were called after her body was discovered at the rear of a parking lot across the street from the club said she suffered severe upper body and pelvic injuries.

Morgan was linked to the crime by fingerprints, witnesses who saw him with the victim and other evidence, including videotape from a security camera mounted on a nearby building, police said. Police have not yet discussed what evidence the camera may have captured.

The case has struck a nerve with many who believe the legal system failed again and again when it came to Morgan, who has been accused of raping young Orange County women four times in the past decade.

When he was flown back from Northern California on Tuesday, a crowd of about 100 angry onlookers booed and jeered as he was escorted from the chartered airplane that delivered him county authorities at the Fullerton Municipal Airport.

One woman in court Wednesday sneered at Morgan and said the death penalty would be “too good” for him.

Ben Wong of Riverside, the victim’s father, said Wednesday, “I want him to get the death penalty, and I want him to get it fast.”

Wong said his pain has worsened in recent days as he has learned of Morgan’s lengthy criminal history.

“He shouldn’t have been on the streets in the first place, and I want him off the streets so he’ll never hurt another girl again,” Wong said.

Deputy Public Defender Stephen J. Biskar said he is concerned that the media and public interest will jeopardize his client’s ability to receive a fair trial. Biskar said that he had not yet spoken to Morgan about the crime but that Morgan has made a statement to police.

“This media storm reminds me of the Romans cheering as the lions are eating the Christians,” he said.

Biskar said he is still sifting through evidence in the case and would pay particular attention to any evidence showing whether the alleged sexual assault took place before or after Wong died--a distinction that could mean the difference between life in prison and the death penalty if Morgan is convicted of Wong’s murder.

Biskar said the autopsy shows an object was forced into Wong’s rectum, and ripped the wall between the rectum and vagina, causing major tissue tearing and bleeding.

Also in court Wednesday was Donna Renee Tatum, 28, of Ontario, who is accused of harboring Morgan by driving him to Northern California, Rosenblum said. One of Tatum’s friends who was present in court said Tatum feared Morgan would kill her if she did not help him leave the area.

“She’s just a sweet person who got all caught up in this,” said Linda Hemicker of Apple Valley, who said she is Tatum’s best friend. Tatum was sitting with Morgan when they saw a news report that police were searching for him. “He told her, ‘It’s all lies,’ and made her drive him,” Hemicker said.

Hemicker said she was shocked to learn of Morgan’s background because he seemed like such a nice guy and attracted many women.

“That’s what is so scary about this,” she said. “Most women would think he’s a nice, sexy guy, someone they would like to know.”

According to court records, it was this likable demeanor that persuaded several of his female victims to trust Morgan even though he was a stranger. In two cases, the victims willingly accepted rides from him. In another case, a victim agreed to take a walk with him after meeting him at a party. They reported that his demeanor changed and he turned violent once they were alone, according to court records.

In two of the three rape complaints that were formally filed against Morgan, the criminal justice system let him off on less serious charges of statutory rape. In a fourth case, he was not prosecuted at all. Instead, the Orange County district attorney’s office declined to prosecute and allowed Morgan to be returned to prison for the remaining 12 months of his prison sentence for his third rape conviction.

If Morgan had been prosecuted and convicted in that last alleged rape, he could have been sentenced to up to 12 years in prison.

Orange County prosecutors said they did the best they could, but added that many of the previous cases were weak and raised questions about the credibility of the victims.

“Everyone in law enforcement feels a sense of grief over this case,” Rosenblum said Wednesday. “In a perfect world, everyone will be caught and successfully prosecuted. . . . It’s my opinion that the best was done on everyone’s part.”

Morgan also narrowly avoided yet another possible parole revocation within days of Wong’s murder. He tested positive for cocaine on May 10 and the results were completed by May 17, but Morgan’s parole officer did not have evidence that he had violated the terms of his parole by using drugs until authorities were already searching for him in connection with the slaying, said Tip Kindel, spokesman for the state Department of Corrections.

Kindel said Morgan had passed several drug tests since his release from prison in late March, but it is likely his parole would have been revoked after the recent urine test.

“With that kind of a background as a sex offender and a drug user, it is likely he would have been taken back into custody immediately,” said Kindel, who said his office is investigating the delay in reporting the drug test results and implementing a new notification system to prevent another lapse.

Asked after the court hearing whether it was possible for Morgan to make it back onto the streets again, Rosenblum shook his head. “I will do the best I can to make sure that doesn’t happen,” he said.